What’s on Your Feel-Good List?

Every afternoon I’ve been taking a long meandering walk. I’m not sure where it will take me when I set out—I often go north, and walk down the streets where the houses and gardens invite me to take a closer look.

While I walk, I like to listen to uplifting podcasts like this and this, and I usually end up stopping every time they give me an ah-ha moment, so I can write down the ideas in my phone. This is the highlight of my day, and it’s become a ritual for me. During this time when nothing feels certain, it’s an anchor.

So, I asked myself, what else makes me feel good? How can I make sure I work some of these things into each day?

At first, this exercise made me sad and uncomfortable, because I thought of things that make me feel good that I’m no longer able to do: going to my gym, having a glass of wine with a friend, getting acupuncture, seeing a movie in the theatre, strolling the aisles of Target looking at all the cute things with a coffee in hand.

But then I got quiet and thought about what makes me feel good in this entirely new landscape. It’s strange how it’s forcing us to reinvent everything—including what brings us joy! I’m going to keep this list somewhere I can see often, so when I feel low, I can seek out one of these feel-good habits. Even better, I’m going to try to sprinkle a few of these into each day.

My Feel-Good List:

1. Long meandering walks
2. Writing
3. Reading a good book
4. Doing a home project
5. Playing a game with my kids or making art with them
6. Watching Hometown
7. Friday movie night
8. Relaxing in the hot tub with my husband
9. Working in my cut flower garden
10. Waking up early
11. Connecting with a friend
12. Freshly washed sheets
13. Throwing the frisbee with my family

Even during this time, these things are all freely given. I hope you can identify the things that bring you joy and make you feel good, in this new landscape!

-Lauren